Lo-Flo Records to Release Archival Mel Carter Single WHEN

Lo-Flo Records will bring to light 'When,' an archival recording written by composer and songwriter Jane McNealy, featuring a lead vocal performance by 1960s pop and soul singer Mel Carter, and made with McNealy's longtime associate Harold Battiste Jr., on Friday, September 25, 2026. McNealy originally wrote the song around 1968 or 1969 while living at the Hollywood Studio Club; in the early '70s, Battiste came across it while going through her catalog and introduced it to Carter, setting in motion an informal recording session at Battiste's Los Angeles home and later prompting McNealy to take the tape into a studio to expand the recording with additional instrumentation.

By the early 1970s, McNealy and Battiste—whose credits already included work with Sam Cooke, Lee Dorsey, and Sonny & Cher—had been working together for several years, with Battiste publishing and arranging a substantial body of her material. Around the same period, McNealy was writing musicals with Alice Kuhns, including To Be Fred, for which Battiste created the orchestrations and arrangements. McNealy recalls working out a trade with Battiste, exchanging her piano for some of that work. That piano soon became part of the story. McNealy believes this was around 1973 or 1974, when she was living in Fremont Place after moving out of Douglas Fairbanks' former house, which had been converted into apartments. While going through McNealy's songs, Battiste came across 'When' and played it for Carter; soon afterward, he called McNealy with the news that Carter wanted to record it. 'Mel had learned the song before I even met him,' McNealy recalls. 'We hit it off right away. We spent about an hour or two rehearsing the song and then recorded it on a tape recorder of Harold's in his living room.'

That first session took place at Battiste's home using the same piano McNealy had previously traded him. McNealy later took the tape to a studio and added Rhodes piano, and recalls that Battiste also added flute, guitar, and bass. Carter intended to return so they could record 'When' again in a studio with a fuller arrangement and production, but he had to leave town and the second session never happened. Instead, the recording remained in McNealy's archive for more than five decades, preserving the spontaneous session among McNealy, Carter, and Battiste that was never originally intended to be its final form.

About Mel Carter

Mel Carter is an American singer and actor whose recording career began in the 1960s. Carter recorded in the musical orbit of Sam Cooke, including 'When a Boy Falls in Love,' co-written by Cooke. His best-known recording, the 1965 hit 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me,' reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart. Carter continued recording and performing through subsequent decades while also establishing an extensive career in film and television.

About Harold Battiste Jr.

Harold Battiste Jr. (1931–2015) was a New Orleans-born saxophonist, composer, arranger, producer, publisher, musical director, and educator. In 1961, he founded AFO Records, the first Black musician-owned record label in the American South. The label operated as a musicians' collective and quickly scored a major hit with Barbara George's 'I Know (You Don't Love Me No More).' Battiste later established a substantial career in Los Angeles, working with Sam Cooke, Sonny & Cher, Dr. John, Lee Dorsey, and many others. He was McNealy's longtime associate, arranger, publisher, and mentor, publishing her work through companies including At Last Publishing Company and Marzique Music and providing arrangements and instrumentation across numerous recordings.

About Jane McNealy

Jane McNealy is a Los Angeles-based composer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, librettist, and founder of Lo-Flo Records. A classically trained pianist who began studying music as a child, McNealy has worked professionally in Los Angeles since the 1960s, writing across jazz, soul, R&B, pop, musical theater, film, and television. Over the course of her career, her compositions have been recorded or performed by artists including Sarah Vaughan, Petula Clark, Mel Carter, Tami Lynn, Lydia Marcelle, and others. Her recordings have featured musicians including Dr. John, Henry Butler, Melvin Lastie, Andy Simpkins, Roy McCurdy, and, of course, Harold Battiste Jr.

About Lo-Flo Records

Lo-Flo Records started as a germ of an idea in the 1970s and was ultimately conceived in 2015 by Jane McNealy, as a home for decades of sheet music, recordings, reel-to-reel tapes, scripts, and unfinished works. Following a cancer diagnosis, McNealy became determined to preserve, restore, and release not only her music but also the remarkable community of artists, musicians, writers, and performers involved along the way, while continuing to document her work today.

Officially launched in 2020 with the release of 'Turn Away From Darkness,' Lo-Flo Records has since released more than 100 compositions and over 40 music videos, amassing more than five million views and surpassing 125,000 subscribers on its YouTube channel, which has been recognized with a YouTube Silver Creator Award. The label serves as both archive and creative engine, celebrating McNealy's extraordinary career while cultivating new works, including the 25-episode animated series Art & Murder.

Lo-Flo releases can be found on all digital platforms, as well as limited quantities of vinyl and CD. For more information, visit loflorecords.com.

Photo Credit: Lo-Flo Records